kryze, kenobi, tiarosos
by alwaysyourqueen
Summary: The daughter of a Jedi and a Duchess, Tiarosos Kryze was not set up for a happy ending. She finds her way towards it, on a confusing and twisted path. Pre-established Satine/Obi-Wan. Canon compliant other than non-canon child of Obi-Wan and Satine. OC-centric.


In a galaxy far, far away, there was a young duchess and a Jedi padawan. The two of them were incredibly close, and they behaved much unlike a duchess and a padawan. A year together was all they needed to embed themselves in each others' minds. They would never be able to forget each other, not ever in their life.

After the Jedi left, the duchess had a daughter who she named Tiarosos, a traditional Mandalorian name. The Jedi would not learn of his daughter for many years.

She was only known to her mother, her aunt, and her cousin, until she was old enough to speak. Her aunt Bo-Katan cared for her deeply, and her cousin Korkie doted on her like she was his own sister.

When she learned to speak, she was intelligent, she was bright, she was funny, she was confident, and she was so much like her mother. Tia was a good kid, and she loved her mother and her home. She became known for being something of a menace. She did what she wanted, she spent her time making the palace her playground.

And then she learned to make things float with her mind, and showed her mother tricks she could do. It was on that day that Satine hugged her daughter tightly, kissed her hair, and told her she loved her. That she was so wonderful, and so talented, and that she should never forget her home on Mandalore.

Tia was confused— she didn't understand these things, or what that would mean. Why would she have to remember her home, she lived here!

It was so hard to imagine a world without her daughter now, Satine thought, and she would have to learn quickly. She wondered how long it would be until the Jedi sensed her daughter, and then sent someone. There was going to be change here on Mandalore, if only for the Duchess and her family.

After putting young Korkie and Tia to sleep, Satine sat down with her sister in the dining room of the palace. Despite it having more residents than almost ever before, it felt ever emptier. "She developed her abilities later than most younglings. I've been told about them before…I don't want to lose her to the Republic, Bo." Satine had her chin rested on her hands.

"The Jedi want to take too much from us, and Mandalore. We should fight, and keep them from depriving us of the future of our people."

"You know how I feel about the violent approach. We will not go to war with the Republic, or the Jedi. If they come for Tia, I won't stop them. I just wish I had more time. She should be able to grow up here, with her people, before she goes to learn the ways of the Jedi."

Bo-Katan sneered. "You claim to want to keep her here, but you refuse to take action. You have to take a stand for what you believe in, Satine. Or you'll become another pawn of the Senate." She stood from her seat, putting a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Give it some thought."

Satine sat alone at the table for a while, and eventually rubbed her temples with her fingers. There was so much to consider, and yet so little. It would be only moments wherein she would decide whether to combat the entirety of the Republic or to say goodbye to her daughter, along with any other Force-sensitive children of Mandalore. Despite her principles, it was humiliating.

She went to bed.

Just as she expected, it wasn't much longer after that. Only a couple more months and she received a call from Coruscant. On the other side was Master Yoda, who she had only met once before. He was a hard man to forget.

"Grandmaster Yoda, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Satine's words may have been warm, but her tone was cold.

"A pleasure, it is not. A force sensitive child on your planet, we have sensed. From your own household, we might add." Yoda had his hands folded behind his back. "Sent Master Windu to retrieve her, the Council has. Hope this will not cause a problem between the Jedi and Mandalore, I do."

Seconds passed. The longest in Satine's life so far, even longer than any moment during the year in which she was more afraid than any other time. Now she longed for that certain fear, rather than this uncertain one. This one in which here daughter might never truly know her because she will be a part of something else. Something Satine is not allowed to truly know about.

"Of course not. Tiarosos will be happy to join you at the Temple." There it was. She agreed. She was going to send her daughter away.

"Your understanding, I appreciate. Goodbye, Duchess Kryze."

"Goodbye, Master Yoda.." The communication ended.

As the ship carrying Mace Windu approached the palace, Satine went to her daughter and sat her on her lap. "Ad'ika , how have your games been today?"

"Look buir'a , I made them play." She reached out and used what Satine could only assume was the Force and lifted two of her dolls, showing how she made them talk. "And that's why I decided we're going to make peace," she said in a child's imitation of an adult man's voice.

"Were they fighting before?"

"It was a horrible war, buir'a. But they decided everyone would be happier if they made peace. Just like you did!"

"Peace is an ideal worth striving for."

"What does ideal mean?"

Before Satine had a chance to respond, one of the Mandalorian palace guards entered the room. "Duchess, the Jedi has arrived."

"What's a Jedi?"

"A Jedi is a brave warrior from the Republic, who wields the Force. The same thing you can do, Tia." Satine lifted her daughter, propping her against her side. "Tell Master Windu I'll be with him shortly."

The man nodded, exiting the room again.

"Would you like to meet the Jedi?"

"Ori!"

The Mando'a sprinkled into their everyday speech was unfortunately something Satine knew she would likely let go of. Many things about her childhood would fade with age. Including memories of her family.

"Duchess Kryze. It's an honor to meet with you." Mace Windu's greeting was appropriately formal for a Jedi. It fit a member of the council.

Satine smiled, setting Tiarosos down at her side. "The pleasure is mine. Tia, this is Master Mace Windu. This is Tiarosos, my only daughter."

Tia hid behind her mother's leg, clutching at her skirts. "You're really tall," she said, in a slightly afraid but very firm manner.

Mace chuckled and looked down at Tia. "I can tell that you are strong with the Force, young one. Do you know what the Force is?"

The girl shook her head, starting to emerge from behind her mother as she did so.

"The Force is energy. Every living thing in the universe resonates with the Force. Some people, like the Jedi, can use it." As he did so, he reached out a hand and lifted Tia from her spot on the floor. To an outsider, it might look like the child was flying.

Unlike the terrified reaction Satine expected, Tia looked only wondrous. "I could lift someone like you can?"

Mace nodded his head.

Satine knelt down, putting her hands on Tia's shoulder. "Ad'ika , Master Windu is here to take you to the Jedi temple to become a youngling. You'll learn to be a Jedi the same as him. You won't see me for a long time, but you'll be in good hands. Do you understand?"

Tia shook her head, grabbing at her mother's gown. "I don't want to go away, I want to stay here, in Sundari. I don't want to go away, buir'a." She looked like she was about to throw a tantrum.

"Tia, they can help you in ways I never could. And you will always be with me." Satine leaned forward and kissed her daughter's forehead.

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes, but she nodded her head. "Ret'urcye mhi ?"

"Ret'urcye mhi."

Satine wrapped her arms around Tiarosos, hugging her as tightly as she ever had. It was a long few seconds before she had to wipe away her own tears.

She stood to her full, imposing height again, and turned to Master Windu. "Take good care of her."

"Of course, my lady." He extended a hand, and Tia timidly took it, glancing back at her mother again. She was seemingly trying not to cry and failing, but she walked with Master Windu all the same. They began to talk, but Satine could not hear what they were saying.

* * *

Tiarosos Kryze was a precocious youngling. She excelled at what she tried— the problem being that she could be a bit…harsh, to her fellow younglings. She was somewhat fixated on being the best she could be, sometimes leading to lectures from Master Yoda about the importance of patience and helping others.

That didn't stop her from at age eight researching everything she could on her family history. She became as much of an expert as she could on Mandalore, and everything about it. Most importantly, she learned about her mother, and the way Mandalore had been and why her mother changed everything. She didn't exactly have strong opinions about it yet, but she knew she was proud to be a Mandalorian. Even if being a Jedi would have to come first.

The big decision she made at that point was to leave the name Tiarosos behind. It would still be used for her sometimes, but it was more important that people knew who she is— a Kryze, above all else. She asked the others in her clan and Master Yoda to begin referring to her as Kryze unless her full name was needed.

Thus began six years of begging, constantly, to become a padawan learner. During that time, she earned her lightsaber, a purple blade that served her well in her training. The construction was perhaps the most exciting thing in her life so far. A war broke out, and the Temple felt more and more like a military barracks. Jedi Masters were often no longer in the Temple, and instead out on assignment. Everyone got used to the clones' presence.

Finally, Master Yoda informed her she'd be connected with her new master. Filled with excitement, she collected her lightsaber, and the only few possessions she was allowed to have. Primarily a hair clip decorated with a symbol of Mandalore, one that she kept out of the way but was important to her all the same.

Not even enough to warrant carrying a bag, she got on a shuttle taking her to the blockade over the planet Ryloth. She was informed once there she would help the assault on the planet to liberate it from Separatist hands. She was excited to finally be in the field, and aside her new master as well.

The ship docked with the flagship of the Republic fleet here. Master Eeth Koth took her from the ship, telling her, "I will introduce you to your master and then leave to return to my own mission, Padawan Kryze."

It was hard to hide the excitement from her face. "Yes, Master Koth. Do I get to learn the name of my master, or will they tell me themself?"

The zabrak chuckled. "His name is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's another member of the Jedi Council, like myself."

Obi-Wan Kenobi. It felt like a name she'd heard somewhere before, but she knew the reputation of the Council as well as any Jedi.

Master Koth put a call through on his wrist communicator. "Master Kenobi, I've arrived on this ship with your new padawan assignment. We will escort her to the bridge to meet you."

"Very good, Master Koth. I hope she's ready to dive into our work immediately."

"I'm sure she is."

The call ended, and Kryze was practicing running down the hallway. "We have to go, Master Koth. I want to meet my new master."

"Patience, padawan. Your master is not going anywhere."

The halls of the ship felt like they stretched the whole of the Outer Rim, or so it seemed in Kryze's mind. After what was probably a year or two of her life, they arrived on the bridge. Standing there was a group of three Jedi along with a squadron of clones.

"We're beginning our bombardment of the Separatist blockade in a few moments. Get to your battle stations, and wait for the order." A man with blond-brown hair gave that order, with darker armor and his hands folded behind his back. "Well, Master, it seems like your new arrival just came in. C'mon, Snips, let's get ready, leave Obi-Wan to his new padawan."

A togruta, who couldn't be much older than Kryze herself, followed the man who had been giving orders. They began talking, but Kryze didn't hear what was said over Master Kenobi's voice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Master Obi-Wan Kenobi of the Jedi Council." The man smiled at Kryze and held out a hand.

Kryze met his hand, shaking it and smiling. "My name is Tiarosos Kryze, but you can just call me Kryze. I'm your new padawan learner. And apparently I'm going to be learning in action, Master."

A strange look glazed over Master Kenobi's eyes, as if he was suddenly transported to another place and time. "Yes, well, duty calls. Let's see if your skills with a lightsaber stand up under blaster fire. Let's get a move on, then." The glazed look vanished, and he became the same Jedi she had met moments ago. She would wonder what happened for a long time.

Following her new master, Kryze considered what the operation they would be doing would be like. She had never been in the field before— no better way to learn than in action.

"We're taking dropships down to the landing zones, then moving in on the twi'leki villages. We need to take them back from the Separatists if we're to make ground for the final assault on the capital. Follow my and Commander Cody's lead, and our orders. You'll get the hang of things around here quickly."

"Yes, Master."

The Jedi loaded onto the dropship, along with a CC as well as a small strike team of clones. It was going to take Kryze some time to learn their names. The only one whose name she'd never mix up was Cody. There was something about him that made her feel confident that it was always him. Not to mention his unique helmet.

"We're meeting with General Skywalker and the 501st once we hit the ground. From there, we're pushing forward into the village. This is strictly for taking down clankers, no collateral damage. We want to return the twi'leks their home, not in ruins. Got it?" Commander Cody relayed the orders to the men, who instantly responded with a clone "Sir, yes, sir."

"Coming in hot. Looks like the droids beat us to it. We're taking a jumping landing." Not moments after he said that, Obi-Wan jumped from the aircraft to hit the hard ground. Kryze, despite her nerves, jumped after him. She had time to watch him execute a perfect roll and slide to his feet slicing down a battledroid. She hit a three-point landing and felt a sting in her knee. She understood why Master Kenobi did a roll.

There was no time to contemplate her landing choice— she removed her lightsaber and began deflecting blaster fire, moving up to be next to her master. "Who is Master Skywalker, and where are his men?"

"You saw him back on the command ship. He'll be making an entrance before long, fear not." There was a wisdom and confidence in his voice that Kryze couldn't help but trust. It annoyed her.

After several lines of droids fell to their battalion's blasts and deflections, another squadron pulled forward. As if on cue, a ship appeared above them and dropped detonators throughout the approaching crowd, with a squad of clone troopers dropping down after the blasts went off, crushing what was left of the remaining droids. A Jedi and a Padawan appeared. Kryze could only assume this was Master Skywalker, as he was the brunet from the flagship. Beside him was the togruta from earlier, who he'd called Snips. That couldn't be her name.

"Well, Master, you softened them up for our perfect assault. Thanks for the prep."

"We'll have time to discuss who prepared what for who later. We still have a city to capture."

The four Jedi wielded their lightsabers, helping the squads of clones push closer to the city. As they went, the togruta pulled up to Kryze's side. "Hi. I'm Ahsoka Tano. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Tiarosos Kryze. But you can just call me Kryze." The Mandalorian gave her new friend something of a smile. "Everyone does."

"Well, Kryze, it's a pleasure. Let's go bust some clankers."

"My thoughts exactly."

* * *

Kryze and Kenobi were both assigned to a detail on Mandalore to deal with growing concerns that there may be Separatists plotting to turn Mandalore against the Republic. The council raised concerns that Kryze's personal feelings towards Mandalore and the outcome of their participation in the war, but Master Kenobi assured his fellow council members they could work together without personal connections affecting it.

Arriving at the palace was mixed feelings for Kryze. Being there was almost physically difficult, but she stayed strong. This was not a homecoming for her— this was a mission, nothing more. She couldn't pretend not to hope to see her mother, and have some time to talk to her.

"Does something worry you, my young padawan?" Master Kenobi was sitting beside her, piloting the ship as they pulled into port on Mandalore.

"I just…haven't been on Mandalore in many years, Master. It's a bittersweet mission."

"I understand. Returning to your past can be a difficult thing, particularly under such strenuous conditions." He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you think I would be allowed to have some time alone with my mother?"

"Take care, Kryze. It might be available during the mission, but we all must make sacrifices of our personal desires in the name of the Republic."

"Yes, master. I understand."

The journey to Mandalore was uneventful, thankfully. The both of them kept to their own space, seemingly both occupied with their own internal workings. It was probably better for the both of them, honestly. Getting their own space to deal with the realities of what plagued Mandalore.

Kryze wondered how her home had changed. She only remembered bits and pieces. The interior of the palace, primarily. How she discovered her powers in the Force. The faces of her mother and her aunt Bo-Katan. Her cousin Korkie and how he played with her.

The rest of Mandalore was something of a mystery to her, at least outside of reading in history books and watching vids. Watching the planet as they approached, she got a feeling like many she'd had before. Of separation, of loneliness. Of wishing she could be among her people, yet knowing that could never be allowed. A Jedi was a Jedi first and a citizen of the galaxy second. Always.

"We're expected. Let's get going before we keep the Duchess waiting any longer."

"Of course, Master." The two of them left the ship, stepping onto the transport awaiting them. A royal guard of the house of Mandalore simply nodded, directing the vehicle to make its way to the palace. They soared over the streets of Sundari, watching as the people below conducted their day to day lives. Kryze got a feeling in the back of her head like there were people missing, as if the city were not the same as the people who she had left behind.

"Are you feeling alright? If it's for the better, you can go back to the ship and return to Coruscant. I can take care of this investigation on my own."

"No…Master Kenobi. I just need an adjustment period to being on my home planet. I was taken to the Temple later than most students, so I still have more memories than most padawans."

"It's understandable. If you'd like, we can arrange for some time for you to familiarize yourself with the palace again while I discuss our investigation with the Duchess."

"I'd like that very much."

Kryze had her hand hovering over her lightsaber. Not because she felt in danger, but because it was the one comfort object she was allowed to possess. If she had a doll, or a proper permanent wrist communicator, she might do the same, but her lightsaber was the only object that lasted more than a month or two in wartime.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me, Satine?"

"You know why I couldn't, Obi."

The two were walking through the public park. They had been discussing the issues with the group known as Death Watch, but they finally drifted far enough from the royal guards to have this discussion.

"I had a right to know. She's my daughter too, and I shouldn't have had to figure it out on my own when she was assigned my padawan." Obi-Wan looked hurt, and Satine couldn't ignore that.

"I didn't find out I was pregnant until you and your Master were long gone. What was I supposed to do? Get you in trouble with the Jedi, potentially sabotage my own position? We live in different worlds." Satine had struggled with this very question for a long time. It had been a long time since she had considered the error of it, but it was a difficult thing to reconcile. How did she expect a Jedi to react knowing that a moment of a lapse in judgment led to a new life?

"I deserved the right to make my own decision."

"What wou-"

The conversation might have continued, but an explosion set off, leaving a cloud of smoke. Obi-Wan tackled Satine to the ground. The area around them was filled with cries and sounds of distress, and Obi-Wan hopped into the action as always. A symbol rose above the source of the explosion.

"Is this really just a splinter group of extremists?"

The symbol of the Death Watch.

Satine stood behind Obi-Wan, grasping his arm. "We need to get the authorities to get these people to safety. The problem has clearly grown beyond what I initially thought."

"It seems there are multiple things you have underestimated today," Obi-Wan said somewhat snappishly, though he seemed to retreat a moment after.

"That's not fair. We will discuss this later, but right now we have to focus on the Death Watch. They're a band of terrorists, and we will sort them out."

"You're right. That was…poorly spoken. Let's get you back to the palace."

Separating, they ran back to the transport, guards in tow. Satine pulled up her communicator. "Get the police to the park. There's been an attack."

The trip back to the palace felt slow, though it was likely that they were going much faster than normal. On arriving, Satine immediately left and headed to speak to Almec. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), she was interrupted.

"Bui – my lady, are you okay?" The young Kryze had almost run into Satine trying to come to the transport. "Were you hurt in the attack?"

"No, Padawan Kryze, I'm fine. Physically, at least. I need to speak to Prime Minister Almec immediately about the terrorist group. Please remain here with Master Kenobi while I deal with this."

There was a pained look on Tia's face as Satine entered the palace, but things needed to be kept professional. Always professional.

The crisis on Mandalore was solved, for now. As was the corruption in a later case. It betrayed a deeper truth across the galaxy— namely, that the governments grew more corrupt as the war dragged on. The people didn't want the war, and officials benefited from it. They took the people's trust and used it to manipulate the workings of the Republic, the Separatists, the neutral systems.

* * *

The Jedi Temple was a good place for Jedi to feel safe. No one had succeeded in an attack on the Temple in over a thousand years. It was also a good place for Jedi to make connections with their fellows, to feel as a whole with other Jedi. This was mostly reserved for younglings, but padawans not on the front lines with their masters enjoyed the social atmosphere as well.

Kryze was taking time off in the aftermath of the stress of returning to her homeworld. She reclined in the library, an article about the situation with the banking clans open but only half read.

"You need to have some fun."

She opened her eyes to see the familiar visage of Ahsoka standing over her.

"I don't see what you mean. I'm using my time off the front lines to study. Like I should."

"No, you're folding in and not connecting with your feelings. We're watching a vid, just the two of us," Ahsoka asserted, reaching down and almost lifting Kryze out of her seat.

Kryze twisted her way out of Ahsoka's grip, standing up and grabbing the desk, leaning against it. Her fingers grip the edge of the cold surface, and she leans back over. "Ahsoka, I want to, but learning about the politics of the war is important to understanding it. I can't shirk my duty just to watch a vid."

Ahsoka clamped her hands over Kryze's shoulders and said, "Yes. Yes you can. I will not take no for an answer."

"Are you always this stubborn?"

"Your master says I get it from Anakin."

Kryze gives a somewhat sarcastic groan of concession and removes herself from the desk, following Ahsoka. "So what vid do I have the pleasure of watching today?"

"Last of the Legion. It has what critics described as quote-en-quote excessive Wookiee flexing. It's super bad and very good for laughing at." Ahsoka lifts up a small projector she had slipped in a pocket. "I have it all right here. Even down to the Rodian mistranslation scene. It's delightfully terrible."

The two padawans, groans and all, made their way to Ahsoka's quarters. They were bare, like all Jedi quarters, though with a mat that would be comfortable enough for them to sit on. They sat together, setting up the projector, and letting the projection begin. The movie consisted of an awful plot that seemed to change direction every fifteen minutes. There was indeed excessive Wookiee flexing, as well as multiple scenes where there were empowered speeches given with the livelihood of a mouse droid at drained power.

What the two padawans would remember later was not, in fact, the vid with the terrible acting and the awfully choreographed fight scenes.

What they would remember was holding each other's hands during the jump scares. The way Kryze relieved her head and tucked it into Ahsoka's shoulder. The way that Ahsoka's leg crossed over Kryze's and neither would fix it.

The way they smiled and turned to each other at the climax and felt each other's breath and the world fell silent for a moment.

And then they turned away from each other and watched the rest of the vid together. Friends, good friends.

* * *

"You summoned us, Masters?" Obi-Wan entered the room alongside Kryze, both of them looking concerned. The master and student stood side by side before a holo-projector, as an image of a crouched Satine Kryze spoke.

"This is a message for Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan Tiarosos Kryze. I have lost Mandalore. My people have been massacred, and Almec is now again the prime minister. I can't explain everything now but Almec has the support of the crime families. Obi-Wan, I need your help."

"We have to go and help her!" Kryze exclaimed, seeing as the image was cut off by Death Watch flying in from the sides. "She, and the people of Mandalore, need the Jedi!"

"Your thoughts on this, Master Kenobi?" Yoda ignored the outburst by the padawan, clearly understanding the origin, and merely directed his words at her master.

"Satine has been at odds with the Death Watch for years. And according to a report from Padawan Tano, they're no longer in league with the Separatists. If there was a takeover on Mandalore, it was most likely an independent act, caused-"

Kryze hit the wall with her fist, cutting off Obi-Wan with her frustration. "You don't understand! None of you actually want to help the people who most need you."

"Kryze, you need to calm down. We can't approach this with anger."

"I'm not going to calm down, Master." The teenager stormed from the room, her head abuzz with feelings.

Tears welled in her eyes. Knowing of danger on Mandalore was one thing. Her mother was a capable woman, knowing her own limits and how to handle herself. But knowing she had been overthrown, imprisoned, and now potentially in worse danger? No.

It was almost a full hour before her master came to their shared chambers.

"You're just going to let her die."

"No, you're coming with me to Mandalore."

The crying that had been going on on and off for an hour abruptly stopped as Kryze realized that her master had already decided to go.

"It's going to be very dangerous, Kryze. I cannot guarantee we will get any sort of help. I don't know what we're going into."

"This is my mother, Obi-Wan. You wouldn't understand, but I can't let her fall to those, those terrorists."

"I know. I think I have a plan in mind."

—

Entering the prison dressed as the Death Watch was…pretty standard plan, actually, but it was working. Kryze had hit a growth spurt not long ago, and it was perfect luck that the two who helped inspect their ship had outfits that fit, mostly. An ambush took them by surprise, and so they were dressed as the Death Watch.

Getting into the prison was easy too, with just a little bit of weaseling.

"Keep an eye out. We need to make sure we're not spotted before we get the duchess out of her cell."

Kryze merely nodded, resisting her hand moving to hover over the lightsaber she kept concealed in this ill-fitting armor. She wanted to have it in her hand, have the security of using it if they were attacked. But that would blow their cover faster than any poor lie would.

The trek to Satine's cell felt like a hundred cycles, but eventually they got there. The woman was knelt on the ground, facing away from them.

"Here to do more of your master's bidding?" she asked as the doors slid open, the bitterness unmistakeable.

"I do my own bidding." Obi-Wan smirked as he removed the Death Watch helmet. Kryze did the same, stepping forward for just a moment into the cell. Satine had lunged forward to hug Obi-Wan, her eyes closed again, but when they opened she spotted the padawan.

"Tia!" She broke her embrace with the Master to hug the student, nearly smothering her with a motherly clutch. "You've gotten so tall, ad'ika." She pulled her head back to run a finger through her daughter's hair for a moment.

"I know, buir'a , but reunions have to wait."

"She's right. The Jedi Council and the Galactic Senate will be of no help to us here. We have to get going as soon as possible." The small group moved from the cell to a nearby lift, clutching the weapons that would be of little use to them as professionally as they could manage.

"I trust you have an escape plan?" Satine asked in Obi-Wan's direction.

"As always, my dear."

There was a stir once again in Kryze's chest, as if, despite the circumstances, this was where she was meant to be and who she was meant to be with. And a cold feeling that this might be her only time to appreciate it. A shiver ran down her spine, and she tried to shake it away.

They got into the lift, but another member of Death Watch was already there. It was unfortunate, but they would just have to play dumb.

"I didn't realize there was a prison transfer."

"Orders came from upstairs," Obi-Wan answered, perhaps a bit too quickly for their appearance. It was clear this whole situation was getting to him.

"Probably worried about a breakout. You know how these types are." Kryze tried to back up his story, giving her mother a light hit with her elbow.

"What's the authorization number?" the soldier asked, almost verbally raising an eyebrow as he turned to the rest of those in the elevator. A glance was exchanged between Obi-Wan and Kryze, and they pounced as they had a hundred times before.

They don't get him unconscious by the time the lift stops, and the three of them have to rush out to avoid capture.

"It's the duchess, she's escaping with two Jedi!"

"Looks like our cover is blown," Kryze quips as she gets out her lightsaber and ignites it. Her master does the same, and they begin deflecting the blaster-fire as they back up towards the ship. They make it in, and begin trying to prep the ship for take off. "Did Master Skywalker really give you such a hunk of junk?"

It's then that the ship begins to take off, thankfully, and Kryze breathes a sigh of relief. Thank the Force. She can see the sky, and she's taking her mother away from this pain. Finally.

But of course it doesn't last. The ship lurches, and Kryze is thrown across the room, hitting the side with a determined thump. The ship was in flames, and there were Death Watch coming for the three of them. Guards grabbed each of them and she was restrained and couldn't resist.

"Welcome to my world, Kenobi," said a voice belonging to a red man with horns standing beside what looked to be a bodyguard.

* * *

Tiarosos is bound in chains designed by her people to shackle Jedi. There is no time in her life where she has felt more helpless. Not once has she been so completely unable to help.

She can see her mother, dragged before Maul on his throne. She can see her master, held back by multiple members of Death Watch, holding him to look at the cruel new dictator of her home.

"Your noble flaw is a weakness shared by you…and your duchess." Tia feels tears in her eyes again as she sees her mother lifted from the ground, an invisible force clenching her throat.

"You don't deserve that blade, or Mandalore!" she bursts out, but a swift hit across the face and a hand clapped over her mouth stops her from continuing what she says.

"You should have chosen the dark side, Master Jedi. Or perhaps I should have taken your padawan, and then you would have been persuaded." Maul begins down the stairs towards Obi-Wan, laughing his horrid, echoing laugh. "Your emotions betray you. Your fear, and yes, your anger."

He tightens his grip, and Tia can see her mother losing the ability to breathe at all. She struggles against her captor, but there's nothing she can do. She's watching her mother be tortured and all she can do is cry like a useless child.

"Let your anger deepen your hatred. Hate, as I have hated."

"Don't listen to him, Obi." Satine's words sputter out as Maul quiets her.

"Quiet," the brute, who looks like Maul but less…bitter, snaps at Satine. He's cruel-looking.

"You can kill me, but you will never destroy me." Obi-Wan stretched to push his face into Maul's, and Tia thinks that she would have lunged to bite Maul if she were him. But that is what makes her master the master, and she the student. "It takes strength to resist the dark side. Only the weak embrace it."

Maul scoffs at him and points at him. "It is more powerful than you know."

"And those who oppose it are more powerful than you'll ever be."

Tia tries to take a deep breath, to find a way to break her bonds. For the first time in her life, she wishes that Mandalorians didn't have such a strong past.

"I know where you're from. I've been to your village." Obi-Wan looks almost sorry. Tia remembers the nightsisters' planet, the way that the men there were treated. There's no way of knowing what exactly they felt, but it couldn't be good. "I know the decision to join the dark side wasn't yours. The nightsisters made it for you."

"Silence!"

Maul swipes his hand forward, looking almost as if he is going to hit Obi-Wan. He doesn't quite, but Tia wants to hit him back for it all the same. "You think you know me? It was I who languished for years thinking of nothing but you. Nothing but this moment.

"And now, the perfect tool for my vengeance is in front of us."

He laughs again, a twisted laugh of someone who has never known remorse. Never before and never again.

"I never planned on killing you, but I will make you share my pain, Kenobi."

Satine was choked more and more over several seconds, and then finally it stopped.

Tiarosos watched in real time as her mother's body was pulled onto the end of the darksaber. It was a symbol of leadership in her people, and it was being used to kill their leader. She watched as Satine's body crumpled over the blade. As the Death Watch guards let go of Obi-Wan, and he ran forward to hold her.

She doesn't see her master's face because her eyes fill with tears and he faces away from her. "Remember, my dear, Obi-Wan." Those are the only words she can hear. She sees her mother's hand go up to Obi-Wan's cheek.

As the life drains from her mother's corpse, Tia cries out and bites the hand covering her, tugging at her bonds and lunging forward. "You killed her! You killed my mother!" she yells, before she's shocked by an unseen hand behind her. She falls limp, conscious but barely so.

"Do we kill the padawan now, brother?"

"No. Imprison Kenobi below. Let him drown in misery, and let him watch as his beloved student suffers for his actions. He will rot watching her scream."

A blow hits Kryze's head, and she is unconscious.

* * *

"Tia? Tia?!" Tiarosos awoke to a familiar voice. For a long moment she thought it was her mother, and her head popped up. "Buir'a ?"

When her eyes finally opened, she saw the face of her aunt, Bo-Katan, who she hadn't seen since childhood. "Ba'vodu ? I thought you were with the Death Watch." Her vision cleared and she saw Obi-Wan standing behind her.

Her master was actually the first to speak. "We don't have time for explanations. We have to get off this planet. Undo her bindings."

Bo-Katan unleashed the clamps that kept Kryze in place, catching her as she fell. "We need to go, ad'ika."

Kryze pulled herself to her feet, coughing slightly. The enemy had certainly not been gentle when taking her in. She felt the worst she had in a long time, both physically and mentally. She leaned on her aunt as they exited the facility.

"Go back to your Republic, and tell them what has happened. Both of you need to leave the planet to tell them as soon as possible." Bo-Katan had a face that shouted urgency, and she pointed a blaster at an approaching member of Death Watch, blasting them as she tried to keep her niece upright.

"That would likely lead to a Republic invasion of Mandalore," Obi-Wan responded as they traded who was holding onto the padawan.

"Yes, and Maul will die. But Mandalore will survive." Bo-Katan turned from them as they moved up the ramp of the ship. "We always survive."

Master and Padawan together climbed the ramp, and as the ship raised off the ground, Kryze stopped. She couldn't just leave without saying anything. She had to say, do, something.

"Ba'vodu , I'm sorry."

"I know, Tia. Go."

* * *

Jedi don't cry. Jedi do not cry. Jedi do not suffer for a long time when someone dies.

What a load of bantha poodoo.

Kryze stays in her room and cries for hours after she and Master Kenobi arrive back on Coruscant. She cries and she mourns her mother and she mourns her world and she mourns her aunt. Her aunt isn't dead, nor is their world, but Maul is in charge of it. The man who murdered her mother in cold blood to get revenge for some past slight is deciding the future of Mandalore. He's butchering her people, and the Jedi will have her do nothing right now.

"Kryze?"

It's the voice of her master. He opens the door to her chambers and comes in, seeing her curled in the fetal position crying like some petulant child.

"I sensed your feelings. I…thought you might want to talk about it."

"No. In fact, I don't want to talk to you. Or any other Jedi. Or any kriffing clone, or Republic citizen, ever again! I want to be left alone so I can decide what I'm going to do about my home being destroyed by someone who apparently killed my mother because he hates you!"

She can't see through her tears, and she's biting and gnashing at an unseen target. She isn't yelling at Obi-Wan, not really. There's something there, something that she wants to rip out and tear to pieces and claw away at until it's gone.

"I can tell you about what happened with Maul, and why exactly he wants what he wants. Maybe I can give you some of the answers you need."

There's a long break as she wipes away her tears, trying to collect herself to deal with the realities she was going to have to deal with in a moment. A deep breath fell into her lungs, shuddering as she attempted to stay calm, and she exhaled.

"Why does Maul want to kill you?"

"Have you been told about how Master Skywalker was inducted into the Order?"

"No, Master. I've only heard what Ahsoka has told me."

"He doesn't like to speak of his past. When I was a padawan much like you, I was under the instruction of Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He was one of the greatest masters of the Order, though many disagreed with his methods. In truth, he was more like Anakin than I ever have been."

As he spoke, Kryze saw a glimmer in his eye, as if he was much happier than she had seen him as of late. Dreaming of a different time.

"Anakin was born on Tatooine as a slave. Master Qui-Gon took him under his wing and promised to bring him to the Jedi Order, to become his student and learn the ways of the Force."

"I don't see what this has to do with it."

"Patience, my padawan." Obi-Wan took his own shuddering breath, and Kryze recognized the failure of his composure. It was so similar to her own, at times, it was almost uncanny. "At the time, he was known as Darth Maul. He was the first Sith we had encountered in a hundred dozen years. He was the first harbinger of the war."

"But why a vendetta against you? Why against- the Duchess?"

"Maul followed us to Naboo, where we had taken Anakin to help aid in breaking the Trade Federation blockade. He attacked the palace, and my master and I fought him side by side. Maul slayed my master, and in my anger I cut him in half and he fell to his death. Or so I thought."

There was a long break, as neither Jedi could make eye contact, and they glanced about anywhere else in the room.

"I did not know Maul survived until I saw him again. He spent all those years wallowing in his hatred, in the Dark Side. He told us that he thought nothing of making me suffer, of the moment when I would pay for the pain I put him through. Dangerous thoughts. A mind clouded by the Dark Side eventually knows only pain, suffering, and revenge. Somehow he discovered that your mother and I were once close friends, and decided the best way to make me suffer…was to punish Mandalore."

"Friends? He decided to kill her because you were friends ?"

Kryze stood up and backed away from Obi-Wan. "No. There's something you're not telling me."

"Please sit down."

"Tell me, first."

"When I was still Qui-Gon's apprentice, we were tasked with a mission to Mandalore. We protected the young Satine Kryze as she was on the run. Do you know your history of what happened when she rose to power?"

Kryze barely had to think to remember that part of her studies. "Her brother, Naolen, was assassinated after she proclaimed allegiance to the New Mandalorian movement. Traditionalists didn't want to break from the warrior past of the Mandalorian people. She went on the run for a year as more and more bounty hunters tracked her down."

"Master Qui-Gon was the one to take her off of Mandalore for her protection. Your mother and I were very close in age, and we became very close in that time. It pained me to leave, but we both had our duties to attend to. Satine was returned to her rightful place as ruler of Mandalore, and I returned to the Jedi Temple to continue my training. We never lost our bond, and that much was all but public knowledge on Mandalore when I returned. It is likely that Maul's Death Watch associates that told him of this connection."

"Did you meet my cousin when he was very young?"

"Only briefly. He was a rambunctious child, always getting into trouble. I'm told he doted on you."

"I wonder if he is with my aunt now."

"He will be safe, Kryze. You would know if he were not."

Obi-Wan extended an arm and placed it on Kryze's shoulder. The touch was like a gateway to openness; Kryze threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around her master. "I need you more than ever now, Master. Please don't leave me." Her eyes were shut, and she attempted to stop herself from crying as she clutched him.

Kryze never learned what made him hesitate, but moment Obi-Wan had his arms wrapped around her too.

"You are my student. I will always be here for you."

* * *

The Temple was bombed.

"You can't do this to her."

Kryze ran up to Master Skywalker, jabbing a finger into his chest.

"Ahsoka would never take part in something as awful as the bombing of the Temple. She would never!"

"You think I don't know that?" Anakin snapped at her, fire brimming in his blue eyes. They almost looked yellow, for just a moment. Probably a trick of the light. "I am doing everything in my power to bring her back and solve this mess. I know she didn't do it either, but no one else will believe us unless we get evidence. So get out of my way, or I'll have Captain Rex detain you."

Kryze was a bit taken aback, though she considered it was fair— she had specifically stopped him because, well, if something was wrong with a padawan usually it involved their master. "I'm sorry, General Skywalker, I wasn't-"

"I know you and Ahsoka are close. Just let me handle this. I don't want things getting any worse. Go talk to Senator Amidala, and see if she'll agree to speak on Ahsoka's behalf to the Senate."

Master Skywalker moved past her, with his group of the 501st in tow. Kryze wanted to say something, anything, but she had her instructions. She didn't want to get in more trouble than she was already in when everyone was on high alert.

As instructed, she made her way to the Senate building. The guards almost stopped her from going in before recognizing her as a Jedi and apologizing profusely. She waved them off, and made her way inside. She wasn't particularly close with Senator Amidala, but they'd met, and anyone who was close with Obi-Wan and Anakin knew Senator Amidala. They were something of a trio of good friends.

"I need to speak to the Senator," she said to Captain Typho, who stood in front of the door to her office.

"Commander Kryze. Are you doing okay, with everything going on?"

"I want justice for the temple, Captain. And I want the person who committed that crime to be the one who pays."

The one-eyed man nodded at her, standing aside to allow her into Senator Amidala's office.

"Padawan Kryze, it's good to see you. Do you know anything more about Ahsoka?"

Kryze made her way towards the far side of Padmé's desk. "Unfortunately no. No one will tell me anything. General Skywalker sent me here to talk to you about defending Ahsoka to the Senate, to be a voice of reason to the politicians."

"I'll do what I can. I care very deeply for Ahsoka, and I don't want her to be punished for something I…don't believe she is capable of." Padmé sat down in the chair behind her desk, folding her hands together and leaning on the surface. "I have a lot of fears about what's going to happen because of this. The people's faith in the Republic has already been shaken. A Jedi, attacking their own temple."

"More systems are breaking down at the seams. I saw what happened on Mandalore. The galaxy is falling apart."

Padmé sighed, leaning back. "And no one seems to care. Our democracy is disappearing bit by bit." She promptly sat up again, looking across at Kryze. "That doesn't mean we can't try to save it. Tell me everything you know while I begin putting together my points."

A painful few hours passed. Another day went by. And on the next, Ahsoka was found innocent, and she entered the Jedi Temple for the last time. Kryze couldn't let it sit.

"Are you really leaving?"

Ahsoka stood before Kryze in the hallway of the Temple, and they couldn't make eye contact. They might never see each other again but Kryze knew that Ahsoka might want to stay if she looked her friend in the eyes and that couldn't be allowed. "I can't stay. Not after no one believed me, or what I had to say."

Kryze took a few steps toward her friend, reaching out to hold her hand. Ahsoka took it, which Kryze knew she might regret later.

"I believed you. So did Master Skywalker. We never wanted this."

"I didn't want this either. But I've been sent out of the Order. I'm not coming back. I can't trust them to take care of me ever again. If they didn't believe me now, who knows what would happen next."

There was silence, and they heard footsteps in the hall behind them. Ahsoka clearly didn't want to stay, but there was one last thing that Kryze needed to know.

"Will I ever see you again?"

She never got her answer, and Ahsoka left the Temple.

* * *

The war is over, but Kryze has been rushed from Coruscant with Bail Organa to a ship docked on Pollis Massa. He told her the Temple had been attacked and the only way to save the remaining Jedi was to get themselves as far away from Coruscant as possible.

On arriving, Kryze is overwhelmed by pain. She grabs her chest, and falls to the ground. Bail kneels down beside her, putting an arm over her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"There's so much pain, filling the galaxy. It's almost unbearable. The Dark Side is winning." Her eyes well up in tears as she attempts to get herself back onto her feet. "Where is Master Kenobi? Is he okay? Is he safe?"

"We're meeting with him. We have to wait for…something else to be done with before we can leave the planet."

The two of them proceed to a meeting room, where Obi-Wan and Yoda are already standing and talking.

"Master!" Kryze cries out, running to him but stopping herself from throwing herself into his embrace. "What happened?"

"Master Skywalker…is dead. He has been consumed by the Dark Side, and replaced with a Sith called Darth Vader. I saved Senator Amidala, but there seem to be some medical complications. The Jedi Order has fallen. The clones turned on us, all at once. Most of the Jedi are dead."

"What do you mean by medical complications?"

"She was pregnant. And it seems she is having twins." Obi-Wan seems to be hesitating the next sentence, unsure how to finish it. "Anakin's children."

Computing. Computing.

"Master Skywalker— Anakin had-"

Bail interrupted her before she finished the sentence. "That's not what's important. Is Padmé okay?"

A medical droid rolled into the room. "I'm afraid she is fading away for a reason none of our scanners can explain. We need to get the babies to safety before more treatment can be done."

"Kryze, we need to have a talk. I'm going to be with Padmé for now, but once we have a moment I have important matters to discuss."

Before she had a chance to respond, Obi-Wan left the room with the medical droid. She sat down at the table in the center of the room. Nothing really made sense right now, and over the next half an hour nothing became clearer. She felt like lying down to sleep, as the events of the day weighed on her, but she realized now that she might not get to lie down for good rest for a long time.

Obi-Wan returned a while later, with a sad look on his face. "Padmé is dead. Her children are being given the necessary vaccinations and treatments."

"Discuss their fate, we must."

"I need to talk to my padawan first."

"Talk you will. Return quickly, I urge you both."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

Obi-Wan guided Kryze from the current room to a side room, a small place with a group of chairs. "I never thought this day would come, but there is much I need to speak with you about. It's about your mother, and your origins."

"What does my mother have to do with this?" Kryze asked as she sat, leaning forward to engage with what Obi-Wan said.

"This is not easy. I am sorry if it seems a bit blunt." He took a deep, shuddering breath. "You recall I told you about your mother and I growing very close during the year in which my master and I helped her stay safe from bounty hunters?"

"Of course I do."

"Our relationship was…more than friends. We grew feelings for one another, and a couple of times engaged in. Very non-Jedi-like activities when Master Qui-Gon was out scouting."

Ew. Ew. Ew.

Oh.

"I returned to the Jedi Order roughly nine months before you were born."

Oh.

"Your mother didn't tell me, but I knew the moment I saw you and heard your name. The timing matched up exactly, and your appearance is…well, knowing the truth, it's hard to mistake it. I think most people who know the both of us would rather ignore it than cause more trouble."

There's a lot to process here, and for the first time in many years, Kryze is truly speechless. Not only is her master her biological father, but she's known her father for years. He's known she was his daughter, he's been watching over her, and taking care of her. Every time he told her to stay behind on a dangerous mission, he was afraid of losing his daughter. And suddenly Kryze knew that every time Obi-Wan had said in that particularly caring voice "my padawan," what he had meant was "my daughter."

"Why didn't she ever tell me? Why didn't you ever tell me? All these years I could have known and-"

"It is forbidden for a Jedi to have a relationship like this. When the status quo of the Jedi was to be maintained, no one but the two of us could know. But we may never see each other again, and I want you to know who I am to you before you go. Tiarosos Kryze, I am your father, and I love you."

Kryze hates how easily she cries. But she falls forward and starts sobbing, hugging onto Obi-Wan's legs as she lets loose the sobs of a life lived without knowing, without fully appreciating what she had. Without being able to make that choice for herself. "I love you, father. I love you, buir'a."

As his arms settle around her back, gently patting to try to help her relax and calm down, Obi-Wan starts to talk again. "That word, buir'a. You used it for Satine, and now for me. What does it mean? Mando'a isn't one of the languages I've had a chance to learn."

"It means parent. It's affectionate, like the Basic 'mommy' or 'daddy.' I'm not fluent anymore, but I'll never forget that one."

"Is there one for daughter? Or child?"

"Ad'ika is what my mother and Aunt Bo always used." Kryze starts to gain her composure again, wiping her tears away and getting up, her arms releasing the grip they had on Obi-Wan's legs.

"Well, my ad'ika -"

But he was cut off by laughing. "No, if you want to say 'my daughter' you say ner ad. I'm too old to be an adiik now."

"Ner ad , I'm glad I told you the truth. But we're almost on Naboo, and we need to go. The Sith will be looking for us. We need to hide."

"We have to go."

The two of them return to the conference room with Bail and Yoda, and the other two seem to be discussing something important.

"Master Kenobi. A plan, we have developed. Take the boy to his family on Tatooine, you will. Raise the girl on Alderaan, Bail will. Keep them separate for their own safety, we must. Dark times ahead, I foresee." Yoda walks around the table to the two Kenobis. "Return to Coruscant, none of us but Senator Organa may. Too dangerous, far too dangerous."

"Where should I go then, Master? The Sith will be hunting me as well."

"You can come with me and my wife Breha to Alderaan. There aren't any other Force users on the planet as far as I am aware, so you should be safe from prying eyes, at least for a while." That sounds good. So, so good. She wants to be away, and to be safe. Maybe she can do her master's best friend a favor and help raise his daughter.

Kryze looks to Obi-Wan, and he nods at her. She knows instantly that it's what they both need. To be hidden, for a long time.

The two of them break off, and Kryze joins Bail Organa and Leia Organa in their homecoming to the palace of Alderaan. She begins to go by Tiarosos again, at least around them. Breha meets her as Tiarosos. She goes by Tia as she tries to adjust to being here. Her lightsaber is hidden for a rainy day.

* * *

Leia Organa grows for the first couple years of her life with two loving, doting parents, and her aunt Tia, who helps her walk, shows her magic tricks, and teaches her words in languages other than Basic.

It's funny, the first time she goes to dinner and Breha asks her how she likes her food and she exclaims, "Ori'jate !" Tiarosos apologizes profusely and promises to help teach her the appropriate time to use the words, as well as what they mean.

Tiarosos sat in Leia's playroom, watching as the toddler familiarized herself with some of the figures. "What is the plan for today, adiik ? Is there a sinister plot at work?"

"M-hm! There's an evil man who wants to take away all the food and water, and Princess Tippie and Princess Melly have to stop him before everyone in the galaxy dies!" Leia held up her two dolls that Tia had been told previously were called Tippie and Melly.

"They are very brave for doing that. Do they know how they're going to win?"

"Well they have a secret weapon the evil Dr. Draven doesn't know about yet, so they'll beat him when he's not expecting it."

"And what is that?"

"I can't tell you! It's a secret, silly. What if he hears?"

Tia laughed and nodded her head. "Of course. I don't mean to put the plan in jeopardy."

"Jeopardy? What's that?"

"Danger."

The two of them sat together as Leia acted out her story. Tia reacted with her overexaggerated expressions and the way anyone would indulge a child. This was probably the most fun she had had in many years, spending her afternoons entertaining a somewhat spoiled child. She had been that spoiled child once, a long time ago. She could hardly remember it at this point, but the similarities did make her smile fondly.

Unfortunately, the fun moment was interrupted when Leia began to raise one of her dolls up, seemingly without being conscious of it, with the Force. Tia felt a strike of panic in her chest, and she grabbed the doll and pushed it to the ground. "Leia, you have a gift. An ability. But you must never use it unless specifically told to. Do you understand me?"

"But I-"

"Leia. You are gifted, these powers are something wonderful. But they will put you and your family in danger. You will keep them safe by not using them."

Despite her being hardly three years old, it seemed as if Leia understood Tia's words, and took them to heart, rather than just brushing it off like most children brush off adults.

"Do you promise not to use them?"

"I promise, auntie Tia."

It was only six months since the first time Leia had shown her Force sensitivity. Tiarosos had been on edge the entire time because she knew that the Empire was going to come searching for Force sensitives. She was hardly twenty, and she was afraid to die.

For the first time since arriving on Alderaan, she retrieved her lightsaber. She kept it hidden under clothing, a strategy she'd used a thousand times during the war. It was almost second nature, but she felt safer when her lightsaber was on her person and not hidden away in a spot where no one else could find it. She told Bail of her concerns, and he patted her shoulder and told her it was going to work out in the end.

She still didn't activate the lightsaber. Perhaps she would never need to, and she hoped that every day as she woke up and checked the windows for tampering. She had grown too used to the luxury of Alderaan and knew that it was going to bite her in the ass eventually.

Somehow, she grew a little more complacent. Life went on, even when she was terrified, and she started to think that maybe she would never be forced to deal with her situation. Maybe she could help raise Leia, and help Bail when he needed it, and live her life out on Alderaan. It could be a good life, though perhaps one where she didn't fully express her desire to live.

The Empire came to Alderaan after all. They didn't invade, but Tia woke up that morning with cold running through her body. It was unmistakable. The power of the Dark Side felt like a cold sweat, a chill echoing into her very soul.

Tia sat with Bail at breakfast, and told him she might be leaving soon. He gave her a hug, holding her in his arms and saying, "You will always have a home with us on Alderaan."

"I know, Bail. Stay safe."

She separated from him and moved into the courtyard, looking at the Star Destroyer sitting in orbit. It menaced at the entire planet, threatening them without acting on it as of yet. Alderaan was peaceful, but the Empire didn't care. There was something coming, something cold and dark. She could draw it away.

That night, she collected the few belongings she had, grabbed a cloak that was as inconspicuous as possible, and takes some credits for a ship. She goes out of her way to make her leaving known but not clear who left, so that whatever force was searching for her would continue searching for her, and not for Leia.

The ship took off, and she learned its ins and outs. She was not much of a pilot, though she thought about Obi-Wan and chuckled to herself, thinking that she was more competent as a pilot than him.

She headed away from Alderaan, away from the Core as a whole. She flew through hyperspace and only stopped when she made it to the Rim. The one thing she decided was that she could never go to Tatooine, for fear that she'd attract the attention of the Empire and bring them down on Obi-Wan and baby Luke.

Tia wanted to cry, like she always did when things went wrong. At her 20th birthday she sat alone on her ship, thinking of the families she left behind. She wondered if Ahsoka had survived the genocide of the Jedi because she wasn't at the Temple. She hoped.

* * *

Nal Hutta was a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but it hid a former Jedi on the run as well as any other citizen of the galaxy. The woman known for now as Kenobi (She would do anything to keep the monster known as Darth Vader off the trail of Obi-Wan and the young Luke. He hunted for the person known as Kenobi, so she would become Kenobi) was hiding out.

She knew there would come a day when the Empire arrived. And they did. The Hutts weren't happy about it, but it was a small ship, with a few stormtroopers and a single passenger of note.

A woman, blue of skin and orange of eye, walked about with a circular weapon on her hip. When a bounty hunter challenged her, she slashed him with a red blade, cutting him down instantly and causing everyone else at the bar to refocus on their drinks.

She walked as if an akk dog sniffing out its prey, scouring the area for some sign of weakness. Tia finished her drink, and her hand was over the spot where her lightsaber stayed concealed. Just existing on this planet from now on was just asking for a fight, and she knew it. She dropped the payment on the bar, standing up and walking out.

It was as if she set off the alarm she didn't want triggered. The woman wielding a red blade of the Sith began to follow her, and Tia could feel in the Force that same coldness that had overtaken her back on Alderaan. She tried not to let it visually bother her too much, and she kept walking.

Then, the familiar sound of a lightsaber blaring through the air. Tia rapidly turned and brought her own blade up to meet it, purple hitting red and the clash startling everyone in the area.

There were no words to share with this attacker. Nothing could be exchanged that was not already shared through the look of hatred. This was a creature of the Dark Side, and Tia had to treat it like the rabid animal it was.

Another strike. And another. Tia favored the form Obi-Wan had used the most in battle, and it was working for her. She deflected each slash from the two-sided blade with ease at first. The people around them looked to be grabbing blasters until others said, "No, no, you don't get in the middle of a fight with those types."

A strike hit Tia's face, and cut a line directly across her cheek. She cried out in pain, but then she returned in kind on her attacker's shoulder. The villain hissed in her own pain, lunging forward to strike back.

The anger-fueled movement was exactly what she needed. Tia dropped low and swiped the woman's legs out from under her, leading her to fall on her back, a perhaps overly painful crack echoing out. Tia put a foot on her chest, moving her lightsaber up to the figure's neck.

"Surrender. I've beaten you."

The enemy laughed, seeming genuinely amused by the idea. "An inquisitor will never admit defeat to the likes of you. All the Jedi who slipped through our fingers will die at the hands of Lord Vader."

That was all she needed to hear. Tia didn't give the inquisitor another chance to fight back— she cut off her head with her lightsaber, took the enemy's lightsaber, took their credits, and fled back to her ship. She might be able to learn more using their own tools against them.

The cold that passed over her when she met this inquisitor was gone, but a shiver ran down her spine again nonetheless. Jedi don't usually kill. She can't be a Jedi anymore, but she supposes that must have been true of the past four years as well.

* * *

This is the first time Tia has been in contact with the slowly-growing Rebellion. She's told that she'll be contacted by a mysterious figure known as Fulcrum soon for her first assignment. She wonders if it's true, and if Fulcrum is even a real person.

Still, she waits by her holocom, and when it beeps she hits it almost instantly. A signal appears, and the hologram presented is…eerily familiar.

However, instead of a rebel mission briefing, she's greeted with a gasp. "It really is you."

"Do I know you?"

"It isn't safe to talk like this. I'll give you your assignment, but meet me on Taris. I'm an old friend. It feels as if five hundred and one days have passed since I've seen you. Fulcrum, out."

The holocall ended.

That was an odd thing to mention. Five hundred and one. 501. The 501st. Could this be an old clone from the 501st? One of her friends who she'd served with? But if so, could this be a trap to eliminate yet another Jedi?

The only way to find out would be to go to Taris and meet up with this person. If it took fighting then, it wouldn't be much different than her normal life at this point. She never thought she would miss a soft bed on Alderaan this much. She wondered how Leia was growing up. She must be nearly thirteen at this point. Flying to Taris was maybe the most nerve wracking time of her life since going on the run. She missed knowing the dangers of the next day, and having people to rely on. She only needed to fail one time. The Empire could fail hundreds, and they would still be hunting her.

Arriving on Taris felt awkwardly like going back to Coruscant. The mega-city reminded her too much of what life was like on Coruscant, and made her miss the Temple too much. At least it was a good place to disappear for a while. A good place for two people on the run to blend in for a cycle.

Fulcrum opened up communication again as soon as she docked. This time, it was a prerecorded message. "I'm on Taris now. I'm in a cantina called the Orange Rodian. Order a sunberry white at the bar and the bartender will direct you to my table. You'll know me when you see me. Fulcrum, out."

It took an embarrassingly long time to find the cantina, but she did. She walked in, hood drawn as per usual, though that seemed to be the M.O. of those around her too. Most of them were somehow hiding their face. She approached the bar, glancing from side to side like the most suspicious possible figure, and asked, "Can I get a glass of sunberry white?"

The bartender set down the glass he was cleaning and pointed at a table in the corner of the room. "It's on the house."

Tia nodded thankfully, walking across the room to the table. There was a lone figure there, wearing a cloak whose hood bent in a particular fashion she didn't see except on-

"Hello, Kryze. It's been a long time."

The voice was soft, and more aged than she remembered, but she remembered it all the same. It was familiar, and something that made her think fondly of old memories. Ahsoka Tano.

"So you did survive."

"I always survive. How are you?"

Tia couldn't stop herself from smiling, pulling the hood of her cloak back. She didn't really stand out in a crowd, so when she was just sitting down it didn't matter. "I'm doing as well as someone can be doing. Where have you been? What have you been doing?"

"I'm with our mutual friends. As you probably figured out. I've been helping them organize, putting together what resources we can. I'm fighting the right fight." Ahsoka reached across the table, red hand open expectantly for Tia's. "Kryze, you have no idea how good it is to see you."

"It's Tiarosos now. Tia is just fine."

"Tia then."

"I've missed you. So much." Tia took Ahsoka's hand into her own.

"We never talked about…well, what we were like back at the Temple."

"You know nothing can come of it until we're both free to not be on the run."

"I know."

"I'll wait for you."

"Me too."

Tia leaned across the table, her free hand taking Ahsoka's cheek and kissing her gently. If Ahsoka hadn't wanted it, it would have been easy to stop her. But for a moment, they both lived life in the what if. In the maybe.

They leaned away, and they lived in the present again. "So what's the mission you're so eager to tell me about?"

They spent some time talking. Mostly about the mission, but also just talking. And it was really nice. The what if, the maybe, was real for a few minutes. Almost an hour, actually. But when that hour was up, Ahsoka stood up.

"It's been…so nice to see you again, Tia. I'll see you again soon, I hope."

"Me too, Soka."

And the two parted ways, unlikely reunited friends.

* * *

The rest of the war was hard. The Rebellion grew strong, and Tia was a protector of the Outer Rim planets. She fought off stormtroopers as the pilots stormed the Death Star, to destroy the reactor core. She protected people when the Rebellion was split. She cheered to herself when she heard of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, heroes of the Rebellion. She couldn't meet them face-to-face, not yet.

What she heard through the grapevine that upset her, though, was that Obi-Wan Kenobi, a hermit from Tatooine, had died. She remembered the man she had known. Her master, her friend, her father. She never got to see him again.

One morning, as the cold air swept through the hovel she called a home for now, she heard a voice.

"Tia."

She sat up from her bedroll, and saw an illuminated figure in the corner. "I must be dreaming. You're dead." The figure was surrounded by a soft blue light, and was see-through. More importantly, he wore robes that looked like a Jedi's. This was, without a doubt, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"That's true, I am. I am one with the cosmic Force. But before he passed, Master Yoda told me of a technique to preserve one's individuality after death, to give guidance to the living. And I wanted to speak with you one last time."

"You've aged terribly, buir'a."

A hearty chuckle erupted from the ghost sitting in the corner. His face was lined, his hair was grey. It was hard to guess that he had been less than 60 years old when he died. "I suppose I did. Tatooine wasn't too good on the skin, at least for me."

"I've heard Luke and Leia are heroes of the Rebellion now. They helped everyone escape when Vader took Hoth." Tia had so many things she wanted to talk about and nowhere to start.

"I trained Luke for a short time, but I had to end his training very abruptly when we were taken to the Death Star. Darth Vader struck me down, but I gave them time to escape."

"Do they know?"

"I'm afraid they may. I should have been the one to tell them, but now cannot be the time for those regrets."

"I miss you. I wish I could have gone with you to Tatooine."

"I wish that things were simpler. I never wanted this for you, Tiarosos. But you have made me very proud." The look in those eyes of his made Tia's chest swell.

"We're going to win the war, aren't we?"

"Goodbye, Tia. I love you."

And Obi-Wan faded from view, leaving Tia with a swath of emotions she didn't know how to deal with. Not for the first time since being on the run, she cried alone in her room. She cried because she didn't know what to do because despite being what most people would consider a mature adult. At her heart, she was still that padawan who saw her mother die on Mandalore.

* * *

The war was ended in the Battle of Endor, and the Empire toppled once and for all. The galaxy began to recover.

And for the first time in over twenty-five years, Tiarosos Kryze got to go home.

Mandalore was recovering. Her aunt, Bo-Katan Kryze, was put into power by Sabine Wren. The darksaber was a symbol of unity with their people, and Tia was prouder than ever of her people's ability to persevere. Returning home felt good. There was the peace her mother had striven for, with the acknowledgement of tradition and its place in their culture.

Tia's ship landed on Mandalore and she walked through Sundari, watching as the people walked the streets. For the first time in years, they weren't ruled by warlords, Sith, or the Empire. They were free to live their lives as they chose.

Arriving at the palace was bitterer yet sweeter than the last time she'd seen it. It was broken in places, and clearly being rebuilt. The last time she'd seen these walls she was running from her mother's killer. Now she was coming home.

At the door, two Mandalorian honor guards stopped her. "Who are you, and what is your business here?"

"I am Tiarosos Kryze, daughter of the Duchess, and niece of Mand'alor. I'm here to see my aunt. I am the last Jedi Mandalorian."

The guards looked stunned, and the doors to the palace opened. Behind their spears was her aunt, standing there with her helmet under her arm. "Let her in. Please."

Both weapons went aside, and Tiarosos stepped inside. "Ba'vodu , it's so good to see you. I wish I had had a chance to come sooner."

Once they were both inside, Bo-Katan swept Tia up into a hug, holding her tightly. "I'm so glad to see you, Tia. I worried so much, but I knew you'd make it through."

"You're smothering me a little," Tia laughed as she hugged her aunt back. It was comforting, having a figure like this again.

"You've gotten so old. Has it really been that long?"

"Unfortunately. Before I can stay with you any more, I have an important question."

"Anything, my dear."

"Can I visit mom's grave?"

Bo-Katan gave a lovingly solemn look. "Of course. I'll get a speeder and we can fly out of the city to visit her together."

The two of them talked as they walked to the speeder, chatting about the war and their lives and Mandalore. They talked about Sabine Wren and the Wren clan and their bravery. They talked about the Battle of Endor and the way the galaxy could never be the same. They talked about Ahsoka, and the fate of the Force sensitives. They talked about Luke and Leia, and the regrets Tia had about not telling the truth to them sooner.

The ride out of Sundari was peaceful. Tia wrapped her arms around the torso of her aunt, and she looked at the way Mandalore was regrowing. Not just its people, but its wildlife. The countryside was growing back for the first time in a hundred hundred years. She was just…overwhelmed by how nice it felt.

They arrived at the graveyard for those of the Kryze clan. There were hundreds of ancestors buried here. The most recent grave was that for Satine Kryze, resting beside her brother.

Tia got off the speeder and walked forward, taking her lightsaber from her side and resting it on the ground. She knelt down, looking at the headstone with a soft gaze. "Hello, buir'a. I spoke with my father a long time ago, and I thought it was only right I come back to talk to you here."

Bo-Katan got the idea that she should give Tia some space, and walked off into the field nearby.

"I was a hero of the Rebellion for a while. I saved a lot of lives on Ord Mantell. Ahsoka and I have been talking about getting married once she gets back from her new mission. If we're ready for it then. I'm nearly as old as you were when you died. I still feel so young."

Tia wipes her face, but finds no tears to wipe away. She's smiling.

"I know you hated our warrior past, but we're making things right. We're changing Mandalore for the better. Not through pacifism, not through mindless violence. We're a people of families, and Mandalore is a family again.

"I wish you were here to see it. To see Aunt Bo as the new Mand'alor. She's doing an amazing job.

"Korkie is all grown up too. He's going to represent Mandalore in the new Senate. He would've made you and uncle Naolen proud. He makes Bo proud every day. He makes me proud."

She reaches forward and grabs a handful of dirt, spreading it around the area.

"Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. Satine Kryze. Mandalore will never forget you. I will never forget you."


End file.
